As Google shows that internet surfing has overtaken the TV as a pleasure activity, mums (and house dads) living in suburbia are revealed as the new audience for websites.
In the UK the Governments aim is to put public services online. The increased availability of broadband is allowing families tied to the house at home to make more use of the internet, and the term mousewife has been coined for these folks. Planning applications and making payments are the most popular services, and council websites are receiving 13 million visits a month.
Research is showing that more and more families are using these online services, finding it easy to access government and local authority services at times and places convenient to them. Some councils are finding that the internet is starting to take over from the telephone as the most popular communication channel.
The UK Government is delighted with the success of its e-government venture, as it enables savings to be made on services as mousewives self-serve information costs can be cut by lowering staffing levels, or money can be diverted into those services which need more cash.
Older people, Silver Surfers...